Off-Grid Electrification of Urir Char Using HOMER-Optimized Hybrid Renewable Microgrids

Addressing the critical challenge of off-grid island electrification in Bangladesh, this study presents the first comprehensive HOMER Pro techno-economic and environmental evaluation of a hybrid renewable microgrid tailored for Urir Char. The primary contribution lies in the novel integration of solar PV, hydrokinetic turbines harnessing strong estuarine water currents, biogas generators utilizing local agricultural and animal waste, and Lithium Iron Phosphate battery storage, a system architecture previously unexamined in HOMER Pro literature for Bangladeshi off-grid coastal regions. The study demonstrates that an optimal 100% renewable Load Following configuration (PV/Biogas/Hydrokinetic/Battery) delivers reliable energy access to 16,078 residents at an exceptionally low Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of $0.0629/kWh and a Net Present Cost (NPC) of $3,134,828. Furthermore, the findings prove that a locally fueled biogas generator operating for just 353 hours per year effectively eliminates the high economic, logistical, and environmental risks associated with diesel transport while maintaining near-zero carbon emissions (507 kg/year), highlighting that dispatchable bio-energy, rather than over-sizing solar or battery capacity, is essential to resolving renewable intermittency.